Fourteen days and a night
by LilyBartAndTheOthers
Summary: What were fourteen days and a night in a life? Nothing, absolutely nothing. WK fic.
1. Athens

**Fourteen days and a night**

**Athens**

Country: Greece

Population: 745, 514

Density: 49, 555/sq mi

She took off her high heels and let her tiptoes caress the carpeted floor in a balancing movement from right to left; the palms of her hands resting sagely on the mattress of the bed. She leaned her head backwards then closed her eyes. She was jetlagged.

In spite of the air conditioning the sun that was piercing through the door of her private terrace came to embrace her body with a rare intensity, almost oppressive as a matter of fact. She swallowed hard and frowned before the premises of a headache. She needed to take a shower, right now.

Very slowly she made her way to the bathroom; unzipped her skirt and unbuttoned her cardigan. Some flyers had been left on the marble countertop, most of them about excursions throughout the islands that a very American-type family seemed to be enjoying a bit too much to be true according to the numerous bright-smile pictures that littered every single page. Ignoring them, she looked at her reflection in the mirror; observed her body for a couple of seconds then yawned.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome on board. The Seven Seas Mariner captain and his crew are looking forward to travelling through the wonderful islands of Greece in your company…"

The unexpected announcement made her jump. She turned around and looked up at the loudspeaker hanging in a corner then shook her head, disabused. Of course she would hate this trip; it had always been obvious. So why had she accepted to fly over there with her friends and get mixed with seven hundred strangers into the nightmare of a so-called luxury cruise? She took a deep breath, tried to calm down then stepped into the shower as the attendant kept on introducing the benefits of the boat through his microphone.

The water hit her back vigorously. She smiled and began to relax.

There were just fourteen days; fourteen days and a night. What was it in a whole life?

xxxxxxx

She closed the door of her suite and walked timidly towards the stairs that led to the upper deck, trying to keep her distance with the thousand suitcases dropped behind the multitude of doors; trying to ignore the crowded corridors and the loud people coming and going with an annoying effervescence she attributed to a first trip around Greece.

The bright light of the day made her wince as she finally stepped out. She put her sunglasses on then looked all around. No matter there were still twenty minutes left before the departure of the boat, it seemed that everyone had decided to meet up there to say goodbye to the continent; what a bad remake of Titanic...

"Vodka on the rock, please…"

She leaned against the counter of the bar and crossed her legs. Her long-sleeve linen dress contrasted sharply with the eccentric colorful, short-pants that all the passengers had chosen. It made her smirk and smile of relief. At least she wouldn't be mistaken for one of them.

"Why aren't I surprised to see you here instead of the far end of the deck? Same thing, please…"

Will pointed out Karen's drink at the bartender before turning around and looking in the same direction as her. Her hazel eyes studied him slowly, amused somehow. As a matter of fact she always had a lot of fun while observing people and their demeanors.

He was wearing a pair of jeans and a gray t-shirt; his sunglasses on too.

"Why would I wave at people I've never talked to? It doesn't make sense; if they even look at me in the first place which I seriously doubt."

"I'm missing Manhattan."

Will's whispered confession stirred up a smile on her lips. His tone had been dry enough to sound true and honest but she couldn't help being surprised. She didn't tell him though and just played along with an amused melancholy.

"So am I…"

A powerful siren suddenly resounded in their backs as people began to agitate their hands; laughing loud, screaming of delight. She turned around to face the counter and looked down at her glass. When had she emptied it? The strong drink hadn't even had the slightest effect on her body. She silently ordered another one.

"Can you believe that I turned down Stanley's invitation in order to please Jackie? "

"Can you believe that I turned down a date in order to behave as a good friend?"

They looked at each other throughout the blackness of their sunglasses; apologized in silence for their respective selfishness, ridiculous behavior.

"We should be ashamed…"

"I know, honey."

They grabbed their glasses and left the bar to join Grace and Jack a bit farer on the deck.

Who wouldn't be pleased by fourteen days of vacation under the sun of Greece and the tranquility of the sea? Everything was perfect to make them live a real dream; from the breathtaking landscapes to the luxury of the boat they were on. Swimming-pools, hot tubs, spa, restaurants of all sorts…

Karen took a sip of vodka and realized one more time that her glass was empty. She rolled her eyes at Will then smiled with complicity. Her mouth moved furtively.

"Two weeks."

He smiled back.

If someone had told them at this exact moment how badly they would regret to ever come back to New York, they wouldn't have believed anything of it but life is unexpected, isn't it?

That's why we all love it.


	2. Santorini

**Santorini**

Country: Greece

Population: 13, 402

Density: 475/sq mi

Still troubled by the jetlag she had awoken very early; in the first hours of the morning. The intensity of the natural light had nothing to do with a typical Manhattan weather and she had blinked while opening her eyes; blinded by the powerful sun. Very slowly she had rolled on her back and frozen as the village of Oia had appeared right in the perspective of her bedroom windows. It had been a mix of deep blue and a pure whiteness; the walls of the houses matching with the limpid sea and getting reflected in the immensity of the sky. She hadn't moved for a very long while, trying to keep in mind every single detail of such a breathtaking landscape. Then she had turned around in an instinctive motion to share the uniqueness of the scene with a beloved one but her smile had vanished quickly as she had faced the emptiness by her side.

Isn't it funny how some mechanisms remain at the end?

Around ten o'clock she had finally decided to get up and join her friends at one of the restaurants on the upper deck for breakfast but the truth was that she hadn't eaten the slightest thing, too excited as she was by the mere idea of an excursion through the island of The Cyclades.

xxxxxxx

An old man suddenly came up from nowhere with a donkey. Before the narrowness of the street, Karen leaned against the wall of an old house and looked at the unexpected convoy. She smiled, vaguely embarrassed. After all it was probably an authentic scene to live. She just didn't feel so comfortable about it. The sun was hitting strongly on the pavement of the roads so she kept on walking in the fragile shadows of the houses and made her way to a small square where an outdoor market was taking place. She rolled her eyes while recognizing a lot of people from the cruise; she felt trapped in their touristic journey. It sounded stupid. But Grace waved at her very soon and she almost sighed of relief, happy to find back the reassuring presence of a friend.

"These are pretty cheap."

She grabbed a necklace from the stand they had stopped at and observed the Greek eye with interest. Her grandmother had offered her the same one when she was little but she had ended up losing it. Was it blue or green? She couldn't remember. Grace nodded at her remark.

"Yes, they are. I was thinking about getting one."

All of a sudden a hand slid on her waist and made her jump of surprise. She turned around quickly and shook her head at Will; let a sigh escape.

"Gosh, you scared me!"

His hand remained on lower back though; the palm entirely spread against her skin, a fine layer of linen separating their bodies. He smirked and pointed out at the jewel.

"You can't take the blue-eye one because it's supposed to match your own eyes."

"Oh…"

She looked down at the stand but found herself before the realization that there wasn't any hazel one. She blushed as she always did when things didn't sort out as they should have done.

The Greek man took off between his lips a small piece of wood he had been chewing all along and stared at her from his seat.

"If they don't match with your eyes then you have to choose between the symbol of the sea and the greenness of nature. But you have to be careful and not just pick up one like that. It's a lucky charm. It deserves to be respected. Sea or nature… Nature or sea…"

She looked back at the stand and was about to grab one when her fingers hit against Will's and got intertwined by accident as they had focalized on the same jewel. It was a deep blue one that reminded her of the way she had awoken in the morning and contemplated the perfection of the fusion of a blue sea and white houses.

"I take this one."

"It must have been a sign."

The Greek merchant winced at her and she stared at him with perplexity, lost before his odd comment. They went away.

xxxxxxx

She smiled back at Jack as he stood up and went to the bathroom, following Grace in her initiative. The day in Santorini was coming to an end and very soon they would have to leave the island and go back on board. She could already picture out the thousand little lights of the narrow streets glimmer in the night like diamonds embracing the moon in a few hours and she would contemplate the magic of the scene from the privacy and quietness of her own terrace.

"Do you still miss Manhattan?"

"Perhaps a bit less right now…"

She crossed her legs and raised an amused eyebrow at Will sat down in front of her at the table of the café on the harbor. Fish men were working on their nets a couple of feet away from them as old women in black dresses were chatting loudly on a stoned bench. A cat crossed the street. She took a sip of her iced-tea. The truth was that she was too thirsty for alcohol but nobody had come up yet with the slightest remark about it.

"Sure I still have Mykonos left to visit but there's some authenticity here that I'm afraid I won't see anywhere else. Besides I feel free while out of the boat; well, until I bump into some dude wearing short pants, of course. But yeah, I wouldn't mind to stay here for a while and forget all the rest."

Will laughed and shook his head, glad they were sharing a fluid, sweet conversation without arguing. Even though they only did it in order to tease each other, it had been rather tiring lately.

"What do you want to forget about? Your life is perfect. We all know that. That's what you keep on saying every day."

Her hazel eyes stared blankly at the asphalt unless it was her feet she was trying to focalize on. Her voice vanished in the whisper swallowed by her thoughts and she bit her lower lip.

"Maybe it's just a lie."

But a truck passed in front of them at the same time and the bitterness of her tone got buried by the tires on the asphalt.


	3. Amorgos

**Amorgos**

Country: Greece

Population: 1859

Density: 38/sq mi

They were heading to the gardens of the monastery when her cell phone vibrated in her shoulder bag. She stopped and grabbed it before answering the call; looking all around for some privacy. Obviously nobody noticed her absence and very soon she found herself alone against the white wall of the lobby. Stanley's voice seemed to get lost in the blurriness of her head as she was staring blankly at the sea below; the waves crashing against the abrupt cliff. And all of a sudden Karen wondered what would happen if she jumped; if she'd fly for a mere second or hit the ground with such violence that her body wouldn't survive the slightest breath.

She didn't like the idea of suicide, had never been tempted by the darkness of death but as she put an end to the call and clenched her fists, she had to face the realization that maybe it wasn't just a coward, odd notion. It scared her; the cell phone fell down on the ground.

Yes, perhaps she wasn't mean to live.

Jack put an end to her wonders as he shouted her name from the orchard. Very furtively, she swept away a single tear and turned around; smiled brightly.

xxxxxxx

Her tomatoes began to twirl around in the plate, headed by her fork in a pointless motion. The redness of the fresh vegetable contrasted with the white ceramic and formed a beautiful patchwork of colors with the green and black olives; the feta on the bread. In other circumstances, she would have enjoyed her salad with appetite but the tears she tried so hard to swallow back simply prevented her from being hungry.

"Ah, Karen and her hallucinogenic daydreams…"

She jumped at the sound of her name but didn't reply; just looked at Will, confused, vaguely ashamed.

"It's okay."

He bent over to grab the basket of bread by himself, looking for some precarious balance by passing his hand on her shoulder. Still silent, she followed his movement and stared at his fingers on her. A couple of seconds passed by before her shaking her head; it was only an innocent gesture, wasn't it? The mere wonder made her blush.

Like Will would ever see her as someone else than a friend…

"I'm sorry but I guess I'm just a bit tired today; not feeling so fine."

Jack suddenly stopped eating then looked up at her.

"What's happening?"

She hated confessing her feelings, even to herself. The mere idea to have to open her heart and let the pain go out tended to frighten her in a way that nobody would ever understand. It began with a chill running down her spine then her blood turned icy and she suffocated; her knees turning to water. She just dreaded to hear the worst three words in the English vocabulary: 'I am sorry'.

She didn't want people to pay attention to the way she might be suffering.

She shrugged then stood up, excusing herself.

"Just a little tired; no big deal…"

xxxxxxx

The breeze made her shiver. She instinctively huddled up on her deckchair; tightened her grip on the blanket she had put around her shoulders. From the terrace of her bedroom she could see the monastery of Amorgos up on the hill. The sun was declining in pale shades of pink, getting reflected in the windows of the quiet place they had visited in the morning. She hadn't crossed the path of a donkey this time, just counted _ amused _ the presence of fourteen cats and an old dog sleeping in the shadows of a streetlight.

"Good evening, lonely lady…"

A soft but tired smile played on her lips. She sat up and invited Grace to the quiet contemplation of the island spreading in front of her. She restrained a yawn.

"What time is it?"

"Almost eight… You have an incredible view from here."

Karen raised her eyebrows and nodded. She wrapped her arms around her legs and leaned her chin on her knees in an old protective attempt that she hadn't used in years.

"I chose this suite over The Grand one for the view and the fact it not only had a terrace in the living-room but also in the bedroom. It's a bit smaller than the other one but who cares when the view is so breathtaking? I wake up in the morning and feel like I've been sleeping just at the surface of a very warm, deep blue sea rocked by the sun. It's unique."

Grace smiled back at the sweetness of Karen's words then cleared her voice announcing a change of topic, a bit brutal.

"What's wrong? You look preoccupied; like something is weighing a lot on you. You can talk to me, you know. I won't judge you."

Karen looked down at her tiptoes and passed her tongue over her lips in a motion of incertitude. Why was it so hard to speak?

"Stanley called me this morning…"

Her voice seemed to slide on a lake of ice, hurting her heart in silence.

"And you argued?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head at Grace; swallowed back her tears, sighed heavily.

"He just said that he hoped I was having fun in Italy."

A wave of shame spread over her all of a sudden and she looked down, avoiding Grace's gaze before the evident lack of communication of her failed marriage. It probably sounded bitterly funny at the end for everyone; her husband didn't even know the country she was in. For her part she only thought that it was pathetic.

"Oh… Well, Greece isn't really far from Italy."

She rolled her eyes at Grace but her friend suddenly grabbed her hand; gave her a small box. She frowned, taken aback.

"What is it?"

"Open it!"

She did and couldn't help but laugh as the necklace made contact with her palm. Grace winced, obviously amused.

"We never have enough lucky charms. Besides this one really matches the color of your eyes; that's why Will bought it for you."

Karen frowned at the sound of her friend's name then caressed with her fingertips the cute jewel. A smile lit up her face.

She just needed attention sometimes; the significance of such a small but bright detail.


	4. Donousa

**Donousa**

Country: Greece

Population: 163

Density: 31/sq mi

Everything had got mixed in her head from Stanley's mistake to her new Greek eye necklace and she hadn't been able to fall asleep. The night had passed by very slowly, with the effervescence of an incomprehensible mind-torture. But she couldn't help it; it was the way she had always been, wondering about a thousand things when sometimes in life it consisted on letting the events take you away. Few people might have known about it but Karen was a complete control freak.

Unable to close her eyes and growing in frustration, she had finally decided to get up then go for a walk on the upper deck. At least in these early hours of the morning, she wouldn't have to face the usual crowd that the rest of the day seemed to drag over there. The swimming-pools hadn't opened yet and apart from a couple of joggers, she had found herself alone, enjoying the immensity of the boat. Then she had assisted to the approach of the coast from a cold deckchair abandoned to the pale light of the sun. The mist surrounding the island had slowly faded away, revealing the rare houses that the small piece of ground hosted. She had come back to her suite then, a soft smile playing on her lips.

Greece seemed to have the power to give back life to a warm sentiment of hope.

xxxxxxx

She had to thank him; no matter how or when, she had to do it. His gesture had been extremely sweet and quite unexpected which stirred up an odd feeling of incertitude over her mind but she nonetheless couldn't pretend that he hadn't offered her the necklace.

As if by some trick of fate, she missed him for breakfast. And when she stepped on the little boat to reach Donousa, he had already left with the previous one in Jack's company. It only delayed the moment when she smiled and pointed out at both her luck charms hanging around her neck; unsure of the real reason why he had done such a thing. Not that she ignored Will's kindness _ he was a sweet guy _ but still, it didn't match with their usual relation. And that bothered her somehow.

The fact was that the island was one of the smallest of The Cyclades and after a thirty-minute walk the four friends were back to the harbor, a bit disarmed. What were they supposed to do with the rest of the day since it was just noon? They had lunch at a cozy restaurant in the shadows of pine trees; she stayed quiet in front of Will, not daring to look at him properly. Then when the first ferry got announced to go back on the main boat, they all headed to it.

Will, Jack and Grace were already on board and she was about to join them when she stopped suddenly; bit her lower lip.

"I guess I'm going to stay here for a little while. I'm just going to have a coffee or something."

She didn't care about the luxury services offered by their boat. She was accustomed to all of them and the truth was that after some time, they didn't have the same effect on her anymore. Besides she really felt trapped out there, almost oppressed by the boring closeness to all those strangers and it seemed pointless to stay away from the beauties of a typical Greek village.

She sat down at some table and ordered a diet coke then took out of her shoulder bag a dozen of postcards she had bought to the local deli up the street; grabbed a pen, began to write.

xxxxxxx

Karen was plunged in the reading of her novel when the breeze swept away her pen. It rolled off the top of the postcard pile and before her realizing it, the first one flew away.

"Damn!"

Very quickly she put down her book on the table and kneeled down to grab the unfortunate postcard but someone's hand did it before she got enough time to reach it properly. A smile of reconnaissance lit up her face but she couldn't help frowning, perplexed, as she came to face Will.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were back on the boat."

"I was bored so I decided to go for another walk around here."

Karen nodded and as her friend sat down next to her, her fingers caressed the necklace she was wearing. She smiled.

"I wanted to thank you for the jewel. It was nice of you… But why did you buy it?"

In a pointless gesture Will put back her pen on top of the postcard pile then shrugged, vaguely smirking.

"You seemed so upset in Santorini when you found out that they were running out of hazel eyes… Besides you looked sad yesterday. Are you okay?"

"Oh, I see. Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I was just… Tired, you know."

She finally paid for her drink and went off with Will through the narrow paths up the hill. The view from the top was quite unique for Donousa being one of the eastern islands of the Cyclades and you could admire from there a large part of the other ones glimmering under the sun. They stayed quiet all the way up, a bit breathless before the abrupt angle of the road. Then all of a sudden the sun spread over them and the breeze caressed their napes as they reached their destination.

Curiously enough nobody was there, not even leaned against the immense white cross that overlooked the island. With logic they took possession of its base and sat down at its feet, contemplating in silence the sea surrounding them.

"It's beautiful."

Will nodded but didn't reply. Obviously her slight discomfort before their quietness had passed unnoticed. She cleared her voice nervously and moved her legs; shrugged.

"Why are you so nice with me here? Why don't you tease me anymore? It makes me feel weird."

Very slowly her hazel eyes slid from his shoulder to his own brown eyes and she frowned at him, trying to ignore the fast pace of her heartbeats. She hadn't pretended to be mean so she just hoped that she had offended him.

"I don't really know. I guess I'm just tired of it… Besides it doesn't sound fair anymore since you seem… I know you're kind of suffering and I apologize for it; no matters it probably doesn't have anything to do with me."

She opened her mouth to give a sharp reply to his comment but something stopped her and she decided to smile instead. A wave of tears rushed to her eyes but she pushed them back inside; shook her head.

Without any complain she accepted the heat of his arms and let his embrace rock her softly. A couple of seconds flew away; she broke apart and locked her eyes with his. Then for whatever reason and before him reacting, she leaned over to capture his lips.

She felt him hold his breath, exactly like her as their skin made contact with each other and a wave of warmness spread in her stomach. He tightened the grip on her waist and deepened the kiss. She responded slowly, giving more strength and boldness to the fusion of their bodies but all of a sudden the siren of a boat resounded in the background and made her jump. She stood up immediately; made a few steps backwards, shaking her head.

"I'm so sorry."

The words slid on her lips in a stifled whisper. She turned around and hurried down the hill to catch up the next ferry.


	5. Naxos

**Naxos**

Country: Greece

Population: 18, 188

Density: 110/sq mi

Of course he had avoided her all along while stepping back on the boat and leaving Donousa behind. As much as she would have secretly died for it, he hadn't knocked on the door of her suite; hadn't asked for any explanation to her sudden kiss. She had waited for him in the warmness of her bath and when the clock had struck eight in the evening Karen had buried her face in the water to make her tears disappear.

It wasn't an incident, a mere mistake between two friends and even less the innocent gestures she used to share with Jack. The problem with Will was all the things he stirred up, even though subconsciously; and all the rest, what they kept under silence in the vain hope they would forget and be forgiven. The problem with Will was that she wasn't allowed to such closeness because then she was unable to stop and she couldn't afford it one more time. She was still paying for that night, shamefully enough to feel the bitterness of her remorse penetrate her heart with a violent pace. It was a constant pain, a silent one.

The diner had been extremely quiet, as well as the rest of the evening but curiously enough when Karen had finally hit her bed and closed her eyes, she had fallen asleep immediately. An odd sentiment of relief seemed to have been rocking her mind.

xxxxxxx

With an excitement barely contained, she took off her sandals and let the heat of the sand caress her feet. They had walked throughout the whole morning to discover the large island of Naxos, spent a large amount of time on the vestiges of the temple; taken a thousand pictures, laughed. And all she was dying for now was hitting the coolness of the sea in order to relieve her burning skin. She wouldn't go for a swim of course _ she didn't like public places _ but a walk along the blue waters would cool down her body; then she would rest in the shadows of some pine tree.

They all took their clothes off but her before heading straight to the sea; plunging with an undeniable joy in the soft waves. Stayed on the beach she looked at them with envy but finally got resigned and sat down on the sand, a timid smile playing on her lips. Had they actually noticed that she hadn't followed them? It was always the same; their precipitation contrasting with her sudden torpor. But nobody said the slightest thing as if they didn't care that much at the end or didn't dare to ask the exact reason why she never undressed in the bright light of the day when she used to play so much with it in other circumstances.

It made her doubt even more about their friendship.

But how could they guess after all, apart from Will?

She lay down and rolled on her side then grabbed out of her shoulder bag the novel she had been reading since the beginning of the cruise. As much as she had tried, the spell hadn't worked out yet and she could have barely told the story to anyone who would have asked her to. The words seemed to speeding past in front of her eyes as her hands turned the pages in a mechanical gesture but nothing remained then; not even the slightest name. Was it any good? Probably… But she was just missing it completely.

The stifled sound of his steps made her look up furtively but as she recognized the tattoo on the ankle, her hazel eyes plunged back in her false interest for the novel. The heat rushed to her cheeks before her poor, pitiful attempt to let the situation go away. What was she, sixteen? Her self-confidence was even higher by then, not so ridiculous.

Will grabbed a towel before sitting down next to her in an annoying silence, waiting for nothing but her to break it as his gaze was falsely focalized on Grace and Jack still swimming. Growing in frustration, Karen tightened her grip on her book; moved nervously.

"I won't speak about it."

Her whisper hit the air in a dry motion but Will didn't move the slightest inch; as if her reaction had been nothing but expected. He shrugged.

"I wasn't planning to ask you anything about it."

"Good because we both know it wasn't… I mean, that I didn't try to… It had nothing to do with a vague…"

All of a sudden, Will lay down on his back and found himself at the exact same height as Karen's face. She looked away; he smiled.

"I know that it wasn't an invitation. It has never been; no matters we still ended up in bed at four in the morning during the last Halloween party…"

"Shut up!"

Her tone hadn't been cold but icy; her gaze desperate and locked for the first time with his. She swallowed hard as a pain began to oppress her throat; she took a loud breath.

"The rest of the beach doesn't need to know whatever happened to us after a couple of drinks so if you don't mind, watch your words."

The lightness that had embraced Will's attitude until now suddenly disappeared and his brown eyes seemed to get lost somewhere in between as he looked at her with a disturbing seriousness. She hated when it turned that way because she knew that she had no other choice that assume it all along.

"I've never meant to cause you any sorrow, Karen. I swear that it never even crossed my mind; no more for yesterday than for that Halloween night."

"Then why did I do it again? Why did I kiss you like that?"

Her own questions surprised her and she restrained a gasp. She didn't want to speak about it anymore but the words had burnt her lips and before her realizing it, she had plunged with a troubling trust into the complexity of an untold story.

She passed her tongue over her lips; sobbed.

"Why do I always go for you, Will, when I can barely face my husband for having reduced to pieces the commitments of my marriage with him? You have no idea what it is to pretend that I've never cheated on him…"

"Perhaps sometimes we see in each other the comforting idea of being trusted and listened to."

She sat up on the sand and leaned her chin on her knees. Why would have she bothered to reply to him when they both knew that he was right? The truth was less scary like that, silenced.


	6. Mykonos

**Mykonos**

Country: Greece

Population: 9, 320

Density: 229/sq mi

It reminded Karen of Ibiza. The island was cute and still owned an ounce of authenticity but the touristic business had got over the quietness of the old days and Mykonos now just looked like an immense nightclub. It embarrassed her somehow, as if she were responsible of the damages caused by the mass. Who would have thought that she would actually care about that? She was the first one to be surprised but her mind was still floating somewhere in the preserved beauties of the country she had previously visited.

Some things had to remain for them bringing up a singular sentiment of strength; a breathtaking instant in people's busy minds. And Greece was a part of them. It didn't have to match with the strategy of capitalism and all its meanings. It was a lack of respect before the greatness of History.

She spent a smooth day walking through the streets with Grace and Jack. Will had turned them down in the morning; an important call to make, an urgent case to work on. She hadn't said a word and let her gaze slide on her empty plate, vaguely ashamed. Their conversation in Naxos had left a bitter taste of truth in their heads, way too sharp to be ignored. So perhaps he was just taking some distance.

But when the night fell over the island and everyone got ready to plunge in the decadence of some famous club, she turned to be the one to decline the offer. Jack pouted at first, probably more by politeness than anything else but when she insisted and gave some poor excuse, his blue eyes were anyway already sparkling, bewitched by the mere idea to actually be in Mykonos. She looked at them go away, waved then turned around. The boat seemed to have been left to a high degree of abandon. A chill ran down her spine; she felt lost.

After a pointless walk on the deck and growing tired of the crew's odd gazes towards her presence there, she headed back to her suite.

She hadn't been there for a week that her belongings were already littering the whole place from the living-room to the dining-table; even on the first terrace next to the sofa. A silk shawl was hanging on a deckchair, trapped under some magazine not to fly away. She had made it home. She always did, like in a urge to take possession of the impersonal furniture; afraid to lose her own identity among the coldness of hotel rooms and suites if she didn't do it as soon as she passed the door and began to unpack.

It worked out at some point because she always felt fine and safe while sitting down on the bed, looking all around; if only she hadn't been so lonely at the end. Then it would have been perfect.

She put down the remote control and turned the television off. Nothing got her attention more than five seconds and time seemed to go slowly, like a sweet torture. She left the living-room for her bedroom; grabbed a dark green negligee. The breeze caressed her back softly as she took off her clothes and changed for the night; the delicacy of fingertips running along her spine and she could almost feel a kiss planted on her shoulder by some bold past lover.

Absolutely no chance it would have come from Stan; the wonder made her laugh.

The loud beats of the music were coming to her ears by the opened French window and the quietness of the boat contrasted sharply with the boiling nightlife of the island. She stepped out on the terrace and leaned against the wall. The teak floor was still warm under her feet, keeping in the heat of the sun. She crossed her arms on her chest then closed her eyes.

"You shouldn't let your door opened like that you know. I mean who knows what kind of person could sneak in while you're sleeping."

She jumped and stifled a scream as Will's voice brushed her ear. She turned around; put an instinctive hand over her heart then shook her head.

"Damn, are you crazy? You almost killed me, Will!"

Standing in the doorframe, Will raised his hands up in the air, apologizing in silence. But the smile on his lips didn't match with a so-called sincerity. Very slowly the fear got substituted by the confusion and she frowned before looking back at the sea in a false motion of casualness.

"What are you doing here anyway? We're in Mykonos; you should be on the dance floor. This place is supposed to be yours, isn't it?"

"Well I would have never thought that I would say that one day but this island is a lot too gay for me; that and the fact that most of the people are over fifty…"

"Oh really?"

Will's remark made her laugh but her voice only got caught in the furtiveness of innocence before getting swallowed by a more serious tone as her negligee caressed her ankles and she realized that she was showing a larger part of her body than usual.

He had already seen her naked but still; she didn't manage to turn the page and pretend that nothing had happened. She felt embarrassed and ashamed.

"And why aren't you clubbing tonight, Kare? You love it in Manhattan."

"But we're not there. You know how it works; a woman and her references…"

"I only know about their legendary self-confidence."

Karen scoffed then shook her head.

"It's bullshit. We only play along because we're too tired of men's indifference; unless it's their nastiness. I'm not sure… But at the end it's kind of all the same and we're just hurt in our integrity. Some words are harsher than a slap; silence too."

She bit her lower lip in a vain attempt to swallow back her remark; too late. Her sincerity rushed back to her mind. She turned around and headed back to her bedroom but his hand on her wrist stopped her.

And she let him do.

"I guess we just want some attention, a kiss. Can't they tell us sometimes that we're needed?"

A pale smile played on her lips to highlight her opinion and she shrugged, almost apologizing for the idea. Will's fingers slid on her nape and no matter she knew what it meant, she still locked her eyes with his.

A chaste kiss, flying above the seconds with the sweetness of honesty; he broke apart almost immediately but didn't put enough distance between the two of them. He captured back her lips; she didn't let him go away.


	7. Intermission

**Intermission**

The only difference she could notice was that this time she didn't have a headache. She hadn't drunk and so had remained perfectly sober from the kiss she had deepened to the moment she had closed her eyes, fallen asleep _ satisfied _ in his arms. It was probably worse as a matter of fact since she had been conscious of her acts all along and hadn't tried to stop anything, at any moment. She had enjoyed it, shivered under his caresses and sighed against his ear while reaching a point of no-return. At least the first time they had slept together, she could have blamed _ even cowardly _ alcohol.

She opened her eyes and turned around slowly to face him. He was still asleep. A few seconds passed by as a whirl of interrogations rushed to her head and she bit her lips, halfway between resignation and uncertainty. She could have pointed out at herself but was there really someone to blame at the end? She thought about Stanley and swallowed back a moan, images of the previous night coming back to her mind by waves of bitterness.

She had led him to the bed. She had undressed him slowly, planting kisses on his shoulder blades as her hand had slid down his spine. She had asked him to stay and spend the whole night with her. In a word she was the one who had taken every single initiative from the very beginning to the end. Will had just followed and obeyed to her shameful whims.

She sat up very slowly; stared at the ocean in the vain hope it would deliver a relieving answer to her blurry mood. Instead she felt him move, stretch his arms and legs. But she remained falsely concentrated on the blue waters, contemplating the way the sun seemed to melt in a golden fusion with the sea. A couple of minutes flew away in a heavy, disturbing and uncomfortable silence before his lips finally making contact with her neck and his hand slid through her hair. She shivered.

"Good morning."

She loved his voice, a bit hoarse and weakened by his dreams. But of course she kept the remark for herself, tried to bury it very deep and intended a pale smile instead; followed by a murmur.

"Morning…"

Before her obvious lack of enthusiasm, Will got tensed and sat up properly by Karen's side. His thumb caressed her cheek in a silent request for her to turn around and face him but she chose to look down. Her hair hid her face.

"Are you okay, Karen?"

"How can you be so detached? I wish I were like you. Perhaps it's because I'm the one who is going against the commitments I promised once to respect; not you. You're just the second part in this case."

The white sheets gave a peculiar vision of their bodies as if their legs had turned into marble and they looked like an old statue of cursed lovers, trapped in the nets of life and eternal mistakes. Karen tightened the grip on them around her chest. Inhibitions were so ridiculous at this stage of the situation but she couldn't help it, not really.

"I am not detached. I know what we did and what it means; as much for you as for me. It's not easy and I'm not sure if I'm dealing with it how I should but it's my own way, just different of yours."

"But you don't have this oppressing feeling that I experiment whenever I think or face my husband. You don't know what it is and how it's hard to go on, pretend that nothing has ever happened. I'm ruining my marriage; for you… Do you realize it?"

"Being the third one is far from being appealing especially since my own father cheated on my mother and I know the anger I resented towards the one I saw as the woman who had broken their union into pieces. You know this is the way I see Tina. I'm playing the same role as her right now."

Karen pushed away a strand of hair from her face and locked her eyes with his. She frowned, her smile contrasting with the depth of her worried features.

"I… I don't know anything anymore; why I always go for you, why you don't push me away when I do so or why I don't manage to reason myself before it being too late. You fascinate me. But the worst of all is that if I had the chance to make the past different, I wouldn't erase the slightest thing no matters I know it's a mistake. This sounds melodramatic and extremely ridiculous, I'm really sorry… I…"

"I should go now."

"No, wait!"

Her unexpected request stopped him immediately and he let go of the sheets he had started pushing away. It was still early in the morning, barely seven. Breakfast would be served at ten and he still had plenty of time ahead to wander through dead-ends interrogations and a morning insomnia that would prevent him from dozing off again. She shook her head at him then shrugged, obviously torn by her quiet dilemmas.

"Listen… I know it sounds crazy and completely antithetic to what we know is right and so what we should follow but… But the truth is that I'm kind of lost, disoriented here and the only moments I feel fine is while being in your arms… I know you feel alike, for some reason I can't explain. Perhaps our homesickness makes us feel closer and each other's presence seems reassuring enough to ease our pain. Look, what I mean is… Well, I know it will lead to nowhere because it doesn't have to but… Fourteen days and a night, do you remember? That's what we talked about the first day we arrived here. Almost a whole week has already passed by so we still have the rest, only seven days… And I want to spend them with you; no matters then in Manhattan we turn the page and stay quiet. Anyway we will find back our references out there. I need you here, Will; as well as you do with me. This is not a declaration of any kind but just…"

"But just the way it is."

Karen nodded, shrugged and smiled, completely lost. It didn't sound right at all if not dangerous enough to make everything tip over and for a couple of seconds she hoped that he would get wiser than her and stop her troubling offer. But he didn't and she let him do; smiled in his mouth as they laid back in bed in a sensual embrace.


	8. Delos

**Delos**

Country: Greece

Population: 14

Density: 1/sq mi

It wasn't a carnal desire but a soft and yet persistent feeling; the need to be in his arms, to close her eyes under the way his fingers passed through her hair. They spoke a lot by then, curiously enough since lovers used to remain quiet most of the times after having made love as if their voices would break the spell of their emotions into pieces. But she wasn't scared with Will, didn't dread anything at all except the idea to lose him.

She bumped against a stone and grabbed an old pillar not to fall down. Of course she felt the well-known heat rush to her cheeks but a quick gaze resulted enough to reassure her. Nobody seemed to have noticed her awkward gesture.

For Delos being so small, Karen had had to accept and follow a whole group of people; getting mixed for the very first time with perfect strangers she didn't even want to know. So she kept her distance with them, avoided their gazes behind her sunglasses and she didn't care if they thought she was asocial or pretentious. At least she didn't lose her own identity and could still look up at the guide, proud of being who she was; somehow.

Like an extremely disciplined student, Will was at the head of the small group of tourists along with Grace while Jack didn't stop smiling at some guy he had fallen for the exact morning. She was just left behind, like when she was fourteen and they were off on vacations at some place she pretended so strongly to hate; to be different, not to be assimilated to any of them. The years might have passed by but obviously her childish behavior hadn't changed the slightest bit.

Her hazel eyes caught up his brown gaze and she smiled at him; not really timidly but without any boldness either, halfway between both. She wanted to stop there in the middle of the ruined temple, sit down on a stone with him and let the hours fly away in his arms; rocked by the fluidity of some casual conversation. She wanted to learn from him, to understand why they had ended up in bed and perhaps then if she felt fine enough she would answer his own questions about this past she kept on hiding so well.

He winced at her before turning around and listening to the guide. How long would it take Karen to come back in his arms? How would it work at that point? Would he feel like having sex immediately or was Will the kind of guy who took his time? Perplexed before her pointless wonders, she looked down and frowned, crossed her arms against her chest. This time she was completely out of the visit, taken away in a slight panic.

They had made love three times; once due to alcohol, another one in a vain attempt to fight against a harsh despair and then the next morning when they were already in bed and naked. How was she supposed to act now with him? What was he expecting exactly, a pure love affair or a semblance of a sweet story? She swallowed hard, realizing that she had absolutely no idea about Will's desires. If she had been the one to decide, then she would have taken her time. After all they were friends in the first place and she trusted him enough to have an open conversation.

She looked up at his back furtively then bit her lips, completely lost. He wasn't her; he didn't have to face the exact same problems. So perhaps he was just wishing for one thing, like most of men if she had to think about it.

An hour later as they walked back to the harbor together, Will came closer to her and let his hand brush her back in an invisible motion. It made her shiver and swallow hard not to intertwine her fingers with his then lean her head on his shoulder. She was tired; they hadn't slept that much. But his bold gesture tended to prove her that he might not feel like conversing and was more interested in possessing her body.

She didn't say anything.

xxxxxxxx

The knock on her door made her jump and she stopped pacing the living-room. Very slowly she made her way to the lobby but it still went too fast because before realizing it Will was coming in and she was closing the door back.

It was almost eleven. The night had fallen over Greece and they hadn't taken part in any of the offered evening parties organized on the boat. Tired, the four friends had headed to their rooms and it was when her long, anxious wait had started.

With a ridiculous awkwardness none of them dared to move or speak and they stayed in the lobby, looking at each other from time to time. An oak table separated them; Karen had put her shoulder bag on it, and the postcards she still had to send.

What was she supposed to do, kiss him? Unless…

"Would you like a drink?"

"Yes, why not…"

Smiling to nothing in particular, she passed in front of him and headed to the mini-bar as he followed her in a deep silence.

She had never been shy with men, not even the slightest time. But the truth was that she had never crossed the limits of friendship and slept with one of her friends, cheating thus on her husband. The situation owned a delicacy that she didn't know at all and she lacked self-confidence before it.

She handed him a Martini then sat down on the sofa. He did as well. A couple of seconds flew away and in an hesitating motion she came closer to him before huddling against his chest as she felt him respond positively to her quiet request. He began to stroke her hair. She closed her eyes, relieved and satisfied.


	9. Paros

**Paros**

Country: Greece

Population: 12, 853

Density: 170/sq mi

She restrained a laugh and looked behind her furtively as his hand on her wrist was taking her away for an unexpected, unknown destination. They ran down the street and crossed a donkey. It reminded her of Santorini, the first island they had stopped by a week earlier. The vision had seemed exotic by then but now it was already part of a sweet routine.

Their precipitated steps led them to the main square that overlooked the harbor. She saw the ferry slowly balancing on the sea. Nobody was on it yet. Perhaps in a couple of hours a group of tourists would show up and it would go away towards the main boat. For the moment it was just quiet, exactly like the rest of the village.

Will made her climb on the pedestal of the windmill and they disappeared from people's sight. He pushed her against the wall, molding his body with hers as his hand slid on her waist and he squeezed it. She smiled then shook her head, amused by his silent gestures.

"What are you doing, honey?"

The lightness of her tone got captured by his lips as he kissed her deeply in a sort of personal answer. She didn't even try to escape from his embrace; didn't try to make him stop for them not being at the right place, at the right time of the day. She passed her arms around his neck instead and succumbed to his kiss under the peaceful rhythm of the windmill.

She needed a permanent contact with his skin; no matter it was as innocent as his hand brushing her fingertips. It still stirred up the same sensation of warmness throughout her body and she felt fine then.

They broke apart a bit breathless and surprised by each other's boldness. The minutes were passing by and their situation kept on evolving at a dangerous pace that none of them really controlled. They simply tried not to think about it too much. For the moment it was all about caresses, smiles and kisses.

"Now we have to find an excuse to have run away like that."

Will winced at her but didn't let go of her waist. On the contrary, he held her tighter against him in a subconscious attempt not to match with his words. She shrugged, obviously indifferent.

"I don't really care what they think of our strange behavior. I don't really mind their opinions."

Karen wasn't moody; she only adopted two distinctive attitudes according to her days. From hope she easily slid towards a state of pure negativity. She didn't choose any of them. She simply had to open her eyes in the morning and a veil wrapped up her heart all of a sudden. Since she shared her bed with Will though, she had noticed that the gray sky of sad days seemed to have faded away slowly.

She leaned over and kissed him back.

xxxxxxx

"You are avoiding me…"

Jack leaned his head against a pillow and pouted, narrowing his blue eyes in a vain attempt to look mad at her. But the truth was that he couldn't; he loved her too much for that. She sat up on his bed and scoffed, pretending to be offended when she actually knew that he was right, somehow.

If only she had been in measure to tell him about the reason of her sudden distance; things would have been a lot easier then, almost relieving perhaps.

"I am not, honey. You've been playing the distance card ever since we stepped on this boat. You keep on saying that you're here to date people and it's what you're doing. I'm just having a rest, on my own."

Jack got up and turned his back at her as he plunged his hand in a chest of drawers, looking for something.

"Sure… You're always right, Karen Walker."

She frowned and shook her head, unsure of having understood his comment for his voice having been so low; almost inaudible. A cold wave of blood ran through her veins and she swallowed hard, wondering if she was on the verge to frankly panic.

"What have you said?"

Turning around Jack shrugged; smiled at her.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing… Now help me to make a choice: green or blue?"

He winced, holding two shirts.

xxxxxxx

The moon was shining in the sky, sliding in a pure, silver trail over the teak of the deck. Everyone seemed to have retreated to bed and the place was empty. The loud beats of the nightclub resounding somewhere in the background; there was always this subtle dose of life to let you understand that you weren't alone.

Will turned on his right and passed the swimming-pools. The spotlights had been turned off, leaving to the darkness the immensity of the boat. But like diamonds glimmering at the bottom of deep waters, the fragile flames of candles suddenly appeared behind the exotic vegetation that surrounded the hot tub. Will smiled, amused by Karen's incongruous invitation. Her message had been too vague to even imagine what she actually had had in mind. And that was pretty unexpected.

"I started wondering if you would ever come here."

She locked her eyes with his and raised a mischievous eyebrow; crossed her legs and leaned her head backwards as the bubbles were massaging her back.

Will took off his shirt, got rid of his pants and joined her in their midnight bath under the stars that littered the Greek sky.

"Good evening…"

He settled in front of her and let her straddle him. His hands caressed her back; she hadn't put on the top of her bikini. The realization sent shivers to his spine.

"Good evening…"

It didn't take him long before making her lips his in a sensual kiss.


	10. Andros

**Andros**

Country: Greece

Population: 1009

Density: 68/sq mi

She rolled on her stomach and bumped into him; smiled. Every single morning the first human contact she had was with Will. Most of the times when she opened her eyes, he was already awake, waiting sagely for her arm sliding on his waist and her leg passing over his. Very slowly her face came to rest on his chest and they stayed still, silent.

How come a couple that wasn't even one could reach such a state of intimacy within a week? How come they were already enjoying a sweet and peaceful routine that nobody knew but them? They seemed to be flying over the logic defined by the time and the chronology of life. Whatever they were experiencing right now, it had nothing to do with their previous relationships.

He kissed her temple, where the skin is so fine; went down slowly to her neck. His lips were warm and as he passed on top of her, led by stirred up desires, her nails dug little half-moons in his back.

She never made love with Stanley in the morning, barely shared the same room as him as a matter of fact. They didn't have the same schedule or at least it was the poor excuse they had found to justify a situation that sounded wrong; a bit sad. But it was all that was left from their marriage, a veil of lies and a couple of vague disillusions supposed to ease the weight of their failures.

Will's kisses went down the back of her shoulders and she rolled again on her stomach, feeling him against her; behind. She spread her legs, captured his lips and sighed in his mouth as they became one.

She closed her eyes and stopped thinking. Her mind was focalized on her feelings and the way his tongue was drawing circles on her nape, following the thrusts of their hips; the rustling of the sheets in the background. Her heartbeats increased and she arched her back as her orgasm spread _ boiling _ through her veins before reaching her brain and released thus the intensity of pleasure. Very soon he joined her in the ecstasy of the moment and they kissed again in a long and sensual embrace; breathless.

He locked his eyes with hers; smiled.

"Good morning…"

She burst out laughing.

xxxxxxx

Within a second the sky had turned gray as heavy clouds had slid over the blue and made the sun disappear. They had all shivered before the sudden fall of the temperatures and headed to the first little shop of the island to escape from the storm as the first drops had begun to fall.

The place was narrow, crowded of tourists trying to wander through the alleys without breaking any ceramic, any jewel or damaging the clothes hanging lamely on a door.

She hadn't planned to buy anything but the dress had caught up her attention almost immediately as she had stepped in, looked around. It was a cotton, deep red, ankle-length piece of clothing, elegant enough for the conventionalism of her social class and as her friends had stayed in the front of the shop, Karen had grabbed the dress and headed to a shower-sized fitting room; an expression of clear disgust on her face. She was used to spacious places, in expensive stores where the salesman literally turned into your slave as soon as he understood that you had money. Here she passed completely unnoticed. It was a weird feeling.

"Karen, are you there?"

Grace's voice resounded in the background, close to the old curtain of the cabin.

"Yes, honey… I'm here."

"What are you trying?"

Karen looked at her reflection in the mirror, the dress on. Her hazel eyes slid on her body and she bit her lip. She slightly opened the curtain.

"What do you think?"

Grace made a step closer and shrugged, smiling.

"It suits you very well… But why haven't you tied it properly around your neck?"

"I don't get it. My hair is too long and I don't have a hairpin."

"Let me do it."

She grabbed her hair up as Grace gave the final touch to the dress. Her eyes were still concentrated on her reflection in the mirror, studying the way her body looked in the piece of clothing. But all of a sudden she noticed her friend's eyes, narrowed and obviously disturbed by something on her back.

"Why Gracie… Is there something wrong?"

"I don't know, you…"

Karen felt Grace's fingers brush her nape and she immediately turned around, alarmed by her friend's semi-absence of reply.

"What, what is it?"

"You have a hickey?"

Her blood turned into ice and she swallowed hard then scoffed, just for the form. She let go of her hair to hide the eventual bruise on her nape; shrugged, looking for an effective lie. Grace locked her eyes with hers through the mirror.

"It must be Jack. You know how we're always fooling around. He probably did that to me last evening when he was in my suite."

"I spent most of the evening with him at the bar. You were missing."

"Then it was probably the night before! What do I know?"

She rolled her eyes and pretended to be exasperated when in reality she was simply scare to death; and ashamed.

But all of a sudden Will poked his head and put a relieving end to the awkward conversation and her unbalanced lies.

"It stopped raining. Are you ready? Nice dress, Karen; perfect for your devilish parties."

She didn't say anything, just stared at Grace for a couple of seconds before finally looking down at the ground.

"Well excuse me Gracie but this is not an happy hour theme so if you could leave that'd be nice, thanks."

She closed back the curtains, took a deep breath and burst into tears; silently.

Maybe things were so easy at the end; even when they seemed to. She put back her clothes on and left, the dress loosely abandoned on an old chair.


	11. Kythnos

**Kythnos**

Country: Greece

Population: 1608

Density: 42/sq mi

The conception of friendship had appeared to her when she was twenty-three. Until then her life had only been led by a series of curious encounters, brushing more or less subtly with the ideas of care and interest. But most of the times Karen had just felt ignored; studied from head to toes before falling into the nothingness of invisibility. She had been pointless.

Then in college things had made her vulnerable unless she had just opened up and realized how a confident was vital throughout the years. But for lacking experience, she had paid the price of her innocence in a harsh way. Some people didn't turn out how they were supposed to, according to the opinion she had got of them and so she had to be careful.

Being socialized only depended on a whole series of rules more or less logical where success used to rhyme with observation and tact; a detachment towards everyone until the day you were sure you could smile and sigh of relief before the safeness of the relationship. Because her friends were her real family; the only connection she had in her unbalanced world and the quieter she remained, the stronger she felt towards them. Without knowing the slightest bit of it, they had saved her life more than once, subconsciously. She just felt incapable of saying it clearly, ashamed of not being so different. Being fade was scaring.

Friendship… She turned around and looked at her reflection in the mirror of her bedroom. Very slowly her hands grabbed the bathrobe she was wearing and made it slide down, caressing her bare skin in a quiet motion. Will was taking a shower and she could hear the water run in the background.

As soon as she had stepped back on the boat the day before, she had sworn to herself that she would spend the night alone. Lying to Grace had stirred up a wave of cruel guilt. She had attacked the bases of their so strong friendship, through a couple of words; her false indifference before Grace's comment about her hickey.

She had barely talked to him during the diner, mostly made jokes with Jack and smiling uncomfortably at Grace but then he had knocked on her door, just before midnight.

"Kare?"

Will's voice made her jump and come back to reality, her wonders fading away in a furtive, abrupt motion. She put back her bathrobe on and went into the bathroom. He had wrapped a towel around his waist, drops of water floating on his shoulder blades. His hands passed underneath her piece of clothing and caressed her bare back. His skin was hot against hers.

She had hesitated when he had knocked, full of doubts and remorse before the way things were turning. But she had opened the door and let him enter.

He winced.

How could she resist?

xxxxxxx

Kythnos was three days away from their return to Manhattan; from the end of a silent pact that seemed to thunder in the background like a storm in August when the air is moist and the clouds heavy. Time had flown over their lives in an exhausting cadence of logic but the sudden quietness of the island plunged them almost immediately in an odd melancholy.

They barely visited the villages and finally sat down on the sand of a lonely beach a bit farer from the harbor. The breeze was cool but cold enough to prevent them from going for a swim. For once Karen didn't feel apart; they had all kept their clothes on and so she had nothing to hide, not like that. After a while she settled down in jack's arms then laid down; cuddling, her back turned at him. In front of her Grace did alike as Will followed the fluid embrace and the four friends stayed still, silent. The symbol was touching if not strong as their identical positions seemed to resend the image of them being complementary. Jack and Karen, Will and Grace…

With the only difference that Karen's eyes were locked with Will's, pleading in silence for an answer to the blurriness of a shameful wonder.

She tightened her grip on Jack in an urge to rush in Will's arms; stay forever in his embrace as the sound of the waves would rock their hearts.

But what about Stan? What about her day-to-day life in The Upper East Side? It sounded so far, almost impossible to imagine properly as if all her previous years had suddenly vanished, absorbed in the bitterness of a very old dream and Greece had stirred up the fantasy of another kind of reality. It was so tempting.

Without thinking about it, she tended her arm. The palm of her hand made contact with the sand, warmed up by the sun. She waited. Will copied her movement and his fingers got intertwined with hers. She smiled at him, swallowed back a couple of words that were burning her lips.

Fourteen days and a night, barely two weeks in their lives…

She took a deep breath and vaguely shook her head. She didn't want to think about Manhattan.

Her life seemed so fade without Will by her side, so insipid.

Her thumb caressed the back of his hand. Her lips mouthed in silence to him.

"Tonight…"

Will pressed her hand and smiled.

How would she ever be able to leave him behind?


	12. Intermission, second act

**Intermission**

The cloud finally slid over the moon before getting away as the pale silver light came to caress their bare skin. They blinked, halfway between the satisfaction of their feelings and the insatiable desire to get more, over and over. Sex was addicting as soon as you found the right person to share it with.

Her head leaned on Will's chest, Karen moaned and stretched her legs; intertwined them with his. His fingertips were brushing her nape in a smooth rhythm. She felt fine.

"You have always been bi, haven't you? I mean you've always known about it."

The question had burnt her lips for so long that she had finally drawn a line under the inappropriate idea to ask him. She was curious, eager to know more about him. He was so secretive that she had come to wonder how many aspects of his life he had actually kept under silence.

A love-making session wasn't supposed to be followed by this kind of confessions; it sounded lame. But it was also the only moment they shared together apart from Jack and Grace.

She held her breath, vaguely anxious before her sudden boldness. A few seconds flew away in a heavy silence before Will finally clearing his voice; shrugging.

"I never understood why I had to choose; why we couldn't love both, in different ways though. My relations with men are more like encounters, very carnal. There's something sweeter about women except for Michael. He was apart or at least I thought we were."

"What happened with him?"

"He grew apart; I didn't."

Instinctively as if his broken heart was all of a sudden pounding loud against his chest, Karen kissed his skin softly and tightened her grip on his arm.

"I don't know why I married Stanley. I'm not in love with him; I've never been. He was a game at the beginning, a sort of challenge I wanted to get and once I reached him my whim faded away but it was too late. I've never been able to turn him down. He knows everything; not that I have told him but he understood. He just remains quiet. It's less painful, I guess."

She had never said it out loud. The idea had had enough time to grow in her head and get strengthened but she had always kept it inside because it made her feel ashamed. She looked down at the palm of her hand spread on his chest. Will had nothing to do with her previous lovers, the men she used to fall for; even for a one-night stand. Logically enough she shouldn't have succumbed to him. As much as she agreed to say that he was good-looking, he wasn't her type at all but the days were passing by slowly and every second she found out a detail that tended to highlight to the exact opposite and tell her that she was made for him. Like the complexion of her flesh; it matched his.

"What would happen if you asked for a divorce?"

The question made her smile. She had thought about it a thousand times during all the lonely nights that had followed some argument or Stanley's mere absence. Once _ while particularly intoxicated _ she had even opened her closet, ready to leave. But it had never crossed the stage of observing intently her suitcases. The idea had only danced in her head, twirled around then disappeared.

"I would be scared to death because I'm unable to take care of myself."

She felt him move underneath her. He was probably looking at her, vaguely perplexed. She just shrugged.

"I'm not very good at living. I like it, I really do. But I just don't get it."

"What pushes you to think that?"

"Whenever I found myself alone, I never stopped failing. I assume I need to be surrounded… By you…"

Karen leaned up on her elbows and smiled against his lips, putting a subtle end to a conversation that was getting too intimate to be bearable. Will didn't insist and let her straddle him.

"What do you like about me, honey? Why did you choose me in the first place when you could have anyone in your bed?"

"Why do all the women always ask us that?"

Karen raised an eyebrow, obviously surprised by Will's semi-reply. She smirked and leaned her chin on the palm of her hand.

"Damn who are you? What have you done to Wilma Truman?"

She felt his hands slide on her buttocks and squeeze them softly. It made her smile. She shook her head.

"How many women did you sleep with?"

"I won't answer to that."

"Oh come on! You're not funny. I can tell you how many partners I've had if you want to."

Without waiting for an answer, Karen leaned over and whispered in his ear then kissed his lips; locked her eyes with his.

"I still won't tell you."

She scoffed, playing all along; pretending to be offended by his stubborn silence.

"Obviously Diane and I aren't the only ones. You know way too much about women."

"Why is it so important for you to know about my exes?"

"Because I want to know more about you… I want… I want something more with you."

She stared at him as her words hit the air and vanished somewhere in between. She swallowed hard, frowned.

Why did he stay silent? Why none of them moved and simply went on?

"I didn't mean… I mean…"

She looked away at the terrace where the moon was lighting the teak floor brightly. She had never felt so stupid still straddling him though; and giving thus to his gaze a clear view of her shameful feelings, her deep embarrassment. But his hand very soon came to rest on her cheek and she turned around.

She took a deep breath then searched for his eyes.

"Excuse me."

Her apologies vanished in his mouth as he pressed her nape and captured her lips in a sensual, honest and confused kiss.


	13. Serifos

**Serifos**

Country: Greece

Population: 1414

Density: 49/sq mi

She had read the missive so many times that the words had got engraved in her head now like the score of some lullaby that perhaps wouldn't sound right but still logical enough. After all she had fantasized about it so much, hadn't she? She should be happy now, not so torn apart.

Someone knocked on the door of her suite. She looked up, bit her nail and finally stood up quickly before hiding the official papers under a pile of flyers.

It had arrived a couple of hours earlier in the morning. Will had just left _ like any other day _ and she had rushed to the door hoping nothing but a last kiss, an ultimate embrace and they would have gone on until the moon invaded back the sky and the stars lighted their sparkling eyes. But when she had opened the door she had only faced the mailman of the boat and accepted a bit disarmed though the letter he had tended her.

And now she was there, with the idea wandering through her brain with the blurriness of failures weighing on her shoulders.

She opened the door, shaking, and blinked at Jack's blue eyes; swallowed hard. Something was breaking into pieces inside of her.

She vaguely scoffed and stifled a laugh as her friend's hands slid on her waist and squeezed her; his lips planting soft kisses on her neck. Sometimes she wondered why Jack adopted such behavior. As funny as it seemed, it was mostly frustrating for him not to go further at the end and most of the times she was left there, breathless; eager for a complete and satisfying boldness.

"Jackie, honey… We're going to be late."

"Who cares?"

"I do!"

Without thinking about it twice, she pushed him away with strength. His back hit the door; he frowned, obviously upset. A wave of guilt spread over her heart and she shook her head, ashamed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm just… I'm not in the right mood."

"Then you could have just said it in the first place!"

Karen opened her mouth to reply, ignoring the fact it was dry and she was feeling dizzy, extremely lame; but Jack rushed away too quickly. The door got slammed; she jumped.

xxxxxxx

The tequila slid on her throat and she closed her eyes, smiling softly under the burning feeling that the alcohol was stirring up. She wasn't particularly thirsty but simply felt like drinking. At least it would be a good excuse for the sharpness of her rare comments.

She had barely paid attention to the island, almost decided to turn down the visit in order to stay onboard but she knew that Will would have ended up joining her at some point and after Jack, she couldn't afford to hurt someone else; especially him. She just wanted to be left alone; and cry. She was missing the taste of her tears on her lips.

Divorce; Grace pronounced the word. Karen hadn't followed the slightest bit of the conversation but as soon as it resounded in the air, she turned around and stared at her friend, perplexed. Nobody really noticed her sudden interest for the meal and the casual conversation occupying all the minds around the table.

Will scoffed. He was sat in front of Karen and from time to time, his feet were brushing hers. It brought on her nerves; stirred up the desire to get more from him, like a kiss. She would have died for a kiss in public.

"Honestly Gracie, it's not big surprise. Their marriage was dead even before they got married!"

Some claws seemed to dig burning paths in her heart and she swallowed hard; looked down and blushed. She felt Will's feet come closer to hers but she crossed her legs instead and avoided the touch. Her hazel eyes looked for his brown ones, coldly.

"I want to think that they were in love at some point. I want to believe in their love story, even though it only lasted a couple of weeks. You know, like a furtive but amazingly beautiful romantic movie."

"Life has nothing to do with fictive stories, honey."

She couldn't help it. Her voice sounded hoarse and tired as she stared at Jack, still careful after the episode of the morning. She had already argued with him but never so far; never to the point to hurt him physically and it troubled her a lot.

Her comment imposed an awkward silence over the table and she took advantage of it to have another sip of her drink; a good excuse to hide herself behind a glass and let everything go away. Some days didn't deserve to be lived.

xxxxxxxx

As soon as she opened her eyes, the room seemed to be twirling around and the air became hot, oppressive. She clenched her fists and took deep, long breaths in order to calm the nausea but it didn't really fade away, only floated more lightly above her head for a couple of seconds.

She had drunk too much; stayed way too long under the sun and most of all, thought about nothing but the letter. Stanley's missive had penetrated her heart with the harshness of unexpected events; the ones that weighed on you with an implacable silence but still managed to ruin your cells and steal your dreams, making them crash against the wall of your failures.

Very slowly she rolled on her side and grabbed the sheet of paper; all torn for her having read it so many times, her hands caressing the words to make them theirs.

His hand-writing was tight, narrow and well-studied. The words were short; the sentences incisive. He had gone straight to the point with a disturbing effectiveness. Her eyes danced over the first paragraph and stopped for the thousandth time on the last line. She frowned, bit her lower lip.

_I give you three days to tell me if there's something left to live; if we still have something. _


	14. Sifnos

**Sifnos**

Country: Greece

Population: 2, 442

Density: 86/sq mi

Karen kneeled down and grabbed a small jar, sweeping her fingers over the drawing of the ceramic. It was a miniature reproduction of the island typical items but she loved the shapes of it and the colors. She could eventually use it as a vase in her bathroom back in New York. A shiver ran down her spine as the thought crossed her mind.

Who told her that she would ever step back in the penthouse she owned with Stan?

"Karen…"

Jack's voice made her jump. She turned around and looked at him, frowned. They hadn't talked yet about their confrontation the day before and the ghost of the argument was floating heavily upon their shoulders. He was kneeled down next to her, obviously as embarrassed as her.

"Karen, is everything alright? You seem so far; like lost somewhere in between."

Seriousness had never defined their relationship. They were what she would call _ without sounding harsh _ light friends. As much as she knew that she could trust Jack, something prevented her from seeing him as someone else than a companion of laugh and childish moments.

"Of course everything is fine. My life doesn't leave a lot to complain about, does it?"

"That doesn't mean you're not allowed to be sad."

She rushed in his arms and released the pressure set off by her remorse for the harshness of her behavior the day before. She buried her face in his neck and smiled as he tightened the grip on her waist.

"I'm so sorry, Jack."

"I love you. Don't forget it, okay? I love you."

Jack cupped her face in his hands and locked his eyes with hers but didn't smile. He looked sincere, vaguely scared by the importance of his words but still led by a strong honesty. She nodded but bit her lower lip and kept all the rest inside.

She wasn't ready to speak about Stanley.

xxxxxxx

She gasped as the cold body lotion made contact with her reddish skin and she began to apply it slowly. Sunburns; she should have known better. Her new sandals were so fine that they had revealed her unprotected flesh a bit too quickly and now her ankles were hurting, hot after a way too long exposure to the high temperatures of Greece.

"Let me do it for you."

Will grabbed her wrist and smiled before coming closer on her bed. They hadn't have dinner yet and for whatever reason she hadn't even asked, he had stopped by her suite earlier; crossing the so-called rules of their lame affair. His initiative made her ridiculously happy.

"Go slowly, please. It hurts like hell."

His fingertips brushed her feet, avoiding the slightest pressure as they reached her burnt ankles. She bit her lip instinctively but finally sighed of relief as his massage resulted soft enough.

Of course she opposed absolutely no resistance as his hands went up her knees and he spread her legs in a quiet motion. She settled against the pillows of the bed and watched him kiss her inner thighs; take off her thong.

But all of a sudden she began to concentrate on Stanley, Greece and the passing of time; how the days were flying away quickly and she had no hold over them. She hadn't called her husband in America, had done nothing but think about his request though she was unable to take the slightest decision about it.

She stared at the ceiling in silence and didn't realize that Will had suddenly stopped his kisses on her skin until he came to face her, up on his elbows.

"What's wrong, Kare?"

"Nothing, I'm fine. Why are you asking me that?"

"You're not here with me. I was kissing you and you seemed… I don't know. Is there something bothering you? You know you can tell me about it."

She looked away and swallowed back another sigh, a lower one; heavier. A few seconds passed by and she murmured against his lips.

"Call me again. Call me 'Kare'. I love when you do that; when you pronounce my name. It seems to come from a secret place that only the two of us share."

He didn't resist and kissed her back, eagerly. She let him do, closed her eyes and tried to enjoy his caresses at the most. She passed on top of him, undressed him and took possession of his body before rolling back on the bed. She squeezed his waist, asking in silence _ implicitly _ for the extreme closeness that would release the sexual tension they had built. He abdicated.

He wasn't rough, not too sweet either. That's why she was sure that he had slept with more than two women. Will knew way too well how to pleasure them; not that she did mind though. She arched her back under his thrusts but Stanley's words rushed back to her mind all of a sudden, unexpectedly. She held Will tightly against hers as if his mere presence would erase all the rest; the fusion of their bodies would put an end to her sadness.

But she only began to cry silently, blocking the impulsive jumps of her chest not to worry her lover at such delicate moment. The tears were running on her cheeks, dying in the depths of her neck as his lips kissed her shoulder blades.

One more time she failed and he looked up at hers, breathless and panicked.

"Karen… What's happening?"

She swallowed hard. Her thumb caressed his cheek as her hand came to rest against his spine. At this exact moment Karen understood that she would never be able to live without him. She brought him back to her lips.

"Just make love to me."


	15. Kimolos

**Kimolos**

Country: Greece

Population: 769

Density: 55/sq mi

For every step she made, she got closer to him as if their walk was symbolizing their incomprehensible relationship. She knew she should keep her distance _ for being married, for Grace and Jack _ but there was something more about Will. The touch of his hand on her own skin set off a whole wave of warmness over her body and she felt relieved then; in peace with herself.

They passed the last boats of the harbor and her fingers brushed his. She blinked, blinded by the sun and smiled at Jack. The temperatures were particularly high and the breeze that had accompanied their stay in Greece until now seemed to have faded away during the previous night. She caressed the palm of his hand then let her fingers explore the shapes of his before finally getting intertwined.

Holding hands; nobody really noticed or looked for an interpretation. After all sometimes they got along and seemed closer as if they were only tired of their constant arguments. It could have been a smooth day of rest for the two of them and honestly, who could have imagined the quick pace of their hearts as they actually connected?

Will pressed her hand and she looked down as a bright, unexpected smile played on her lips. She wasn't supposed to be happy, not now. She had tried to call Stanley in the morning but had only landed on his answering machine. She had left a message _ her voice had been shaking all along _ but nothing was resolved; even less in her mind. Leaving her husband sounded appealing sometimes but as soon as she tried to plan out a possible future without him, she failed and only faced a black wall of absurdities. She wasn't meant to be with him but there was still something and she didn't manage to deal with it properly.

Grace stopped to buy an ice-cream, as well as Jack. She paid for them both but remained behind with Will, waiting for her friends who went on living without having the slightest idea of what was happening in the darkness of her bedroom once the moon had substituted the sun and the stars lit up the sky; embracing their sighs.

"Kiss me."

Will turned around and looked at her with perplexity, taken aback by her murmured request. He opened his mouth to reply but at the last moment simply leaned over and captured her lips. It didn't last more than five seconds, in the pure tradition of some platonic and chaste kiss but for this so furtive lapse of time, Karen made abstraction of all the rest; thought about her life without Stan.

xxxxxxx

He pressed her back against the door of her suite and kissed her hungrily. The glasses they had been emptying brought a seducing awkwardness to their gestures and she almost fell down as the door got closed under her weight. Her giggles vanished in his mouth and she let go of her bag as she passed her arms around his neck.

They headed to the bedroom quickly; hit the mattress, broke apart. Her foot caressed his ankle softly as she passed a finger along his jaw line. A bitter smile lit up her face and her eyes began to shine; she bit her lower lip. The next day would mark their last night on the boat and then they would come back to Athens before leaving in the early morning; turning the page over whatever they had lived.

But as much as they had established the rules from the very beginning, she wasn't ready for that. New York was waiting for her in the most chaotic way ever. Stanley had grown tired of their little game. She couldn't blame him either though. It was fair enough.

"What is going to happen next? What will our lives look like once we come back to America?"

Will shrugged and intended a reassuring smile.

"Perhaps nothing is really going to change at the end."

"I don't want that. I don't want to draw a line like that; I can't."

Karen had never been good at confessing her feelings, her wishes. It always came up through semi-words of a so-called declaration and then it vanished in the air, absorbed by the dryness of her motions. But the problem this time was that she was trapped under him on the bed and she had no way to escape from his gaze. She frowned, vaguely apologizing for her honesty.

"You're married, Kare."

All she kept in mind from his reply was his absence of complete negation of whatever she desperately tried to offer him.

"Maybe not for so long anymore… Would you leave me behind if I did ask for a divorce or you would follow me?"

She looked at him intently but his silence suddenly made her blush and she cleared her voice, giggling nervously.

"Never mind, it was stupid."

"No, it wasn't. Don't say that. It's just… What if it didn't work out? You can't take the decision to turn your back at your marriage for a vague romance happening so far from your day-to-day references. I can't afford to make you crash."

"It's not what I'm asking you. I can take care of myself. I just wonder if you would ever feel like… I don't know… Would you like to be a part of my personal life?"

It seemed that time had rushed backwards and she had just turned eleven years old. She could even picture out the backyard of their house in Arkansas and the blue eyes of the guy she had asked out for the very first time. He had turned him down; she had pushed him in the waters of the river below. Then she had run away with a broken heart.

Will locked his eyes with hers and sighed.

"There are probably a thousand reasons that should push me to say no but the truth is that I'm dying for it. I'm dying for you."


	16. Folegandros

**Folegandros**

Country: Greece

Population: 667

Density: 54/sq mi

Was it the sun or the sudden lightness that had invaded her heart a couple of hours earlier when Will had kissed her neck and murmured to her ear that he would always be there for her? She wouldn't have been able to tell though something made her feel dizzy, almost too fine to actually be in the real world and not in some dream created by her mind.

They turned on their right and plunged in the historic district of Chora, one of the villages of the island. The streets were empty, swept by the high temperatures of the day and from time to time while approaching a door, they could hear some music being played in the background. It was a peaceful place; a lovely one.

She grabbed Will's hand and smiled at him, wincing behind her sunglasses. Grace was telling some story to Jack but the truth was that she was a thousand million miles away from it. It was all about Will, all about the papers she had printed in the morning then signed. Her divorce with Stanley, the third one within twelve years; most of people would have seen it as a failure _ another one in her poor existence _ but this time it was different. It had to.

"I miss you…"

Karen's lips moved in silence and she couldn't help but smile. What if she rushed in his arms and kissed him? Not one of those chaste embraces but a real one; what would their friends say about it?

She would bring the papers to the American Embassy in Athens the next day. They would fax them to Stan and another page of her life would start. With Will she would wait for a while and see if their relationship had some chance to strengthen then they would confess everything to Grace and Jack. They could have done it immediately but they preferred to deal with their own privacy, just in case it wouldn't work out. At least less people would be involved and hurt; things were better like that.

Without thinking about it twice Will slid his hand on her lower back and kept on walking. She looked at their friends _ furtively _ before finally relaxing. Nobody seemed to care.

They walked a lot that day as if their last hours in Greece needed to be engraved in their minds through the most numerous landscapes possible or they would have had the feeling to lose their time if they had ever stopped to rest on some beach. When they returned to the main boat, the four of them stayed quiet before the last vision of The Cyclades. It was time to say goodbye.

xxxxxxxx

"What are you looking at? You're so quiet."

His lips on her shoulder made her jump. She shook her head and smiled softly, planting a kiss on the back of his hand. She had got lost in the contemplation of their reflection in the mirror of her bedroom; the way his eyes had remained on her all along while she had sat up and leaned her chin on her knees over the sheets.

They had made love in a sweet silence where their sighs had melted in their kisses and the softness of their caresses; with the bitterness of leaving the next day, no matter they had decided to make it last a bit longer if not for the rest of their lives. They were just leaving behind the beginning of their story and that sounded melancholic enough to stir up a sentiment of a timid sadness over their hearts because nobody knew if what they had lived in Greece would ever find any resonance in another scenery. So many things were different in Manhattan.

"I was just looking at us. Do you think I'm made for you? I would have never thought that it would happen one day; that you would be there, next to me."

"All I know is that I can barely spend a second away from you."

His hand passed on her bare waist as he kept on kissing her shoulder, going up to her neck. She leaned her head on a side to give him more access then closed her eyes.

"But why did you ever look at me? What made you cross the lines of our friendship?"

Will pushed away a strand of hair from her face and locked his eyes with hers; he seemed touched, for whatever reason. It took her aback.

"I have no idea… You attract me, you've always done at some point. It's just the way it is, Kare. I can't explain it."

"You know why I never undress in public, why I don't wear a bikini at the beach, don't you?"

Her lack of transition surprised Will. Instinctively his eyes looked down at her stomach hidden by the sheets of the bed; he frowned, still perplexed.

"You have this scar. It's very small though you know. You shouldn't be ashamed of any…"

"I had to go under surgery. I lost a child."

The honesty of his feelings towards her seemed to have set off something in her mind as if a door had been opened and she could trust him enough to tell him about the real story. But as much as it could have been seen as a progress, Karen only kept in mind the fact she had used an "a"; she still needed distance before her miscarriage, ridiculously enough.

"I'm sorry."

"Everything had been okay for six months and all of a sudden… I guess we never really overcome it, Stanley and I. It didn't make it all crash but still, we probably understood that something was wrong between the two of us. It was a boy. I refused to see him."

A heavy silence began to weigh over the room and Karen finally shook her head, avoiding Will's gaze.

"I just assumed you wanted to know why I had a c-section scar. I didn't mean to… I'm sorry."

His fingers plunged in her hair as he planted a soft kiss on her cheek.


	17. Four words in Athens

**Athens**

Country: Greece

Population: 745, 514

Density: 49, 555/sq mi

The boiling life of the capital took them completely aback after two weeks of wandering through the quiet Cyclades. They left their suitcases at the hotel in an awkward confusion _ the sentiment to be apart and misunderstood _ then headed downtown for a walk, unsure of what they were supposed to do out there. Time seemed to have got suspended during the cruise and they were just realizing how easy it was at the end to leave everything behind, to forget about their so-called routines.

Her hand resting nervously on her shoulder bag, Karen pretended to be delighted by the stores, the nice restaurants that the city was offering. But the truth was that she was scared to death and could almost feel the papers of her divorce burn her flesh through her bag. She still didn't know how to announce her secret escapade to her friends. Will's constant gazes on her were weighing heavily and she simply answered to him by a shrug, trying to find out the right moment _ if not the courage _ to hail a cab and go straight to the embassy before the end of the day.

She still had four hours left but every time she checked her watch, the seconds seemed to be flying away and she felt trapped in the nets of time; running after her life. And before her realizing it, a clock on the wall of an old café stuck six. Her heart began to beat faster as her blood turned icy. She swallowed hard, observed her friends who kept on talking as if nothing had happened, as if everything would remain the same.

"I'm sorry but I have to go. I see you back at the hotel, okay? I have a couple of things to do."

Her sudden comment put an abrupt end to the casual conversation and while Grace and Jack looked at her in disbelief, Will simply avoided her gaze. Obviously he was as uncomfortable as her.

"Where are you going to? Kare… You promised me we would go to Chanel before leaving."

Jack began to pout and she found herself disarmed, unable to come up with the slightest excuse, not even a poor lie. She frowned, passed her tongue over her dry lips and cleared a voice in an attempt to win some seconds.

"Oh Poodle… We will have plenty of time to go there in Manhattan but I really have to go now. I can't be late, I… It's very important."

"Is everything okay? Where do you want to go now?"

Grace's worried voice made her blush; she hid it behind her drink, took a last sip of it.

"Hmm… I have to go to the embassy, I have lost my visa. They told me on the boat that I needed some application form for the airport tomorrow."

"Well I can come with you, if you want. I don't really mind, you know. But in this case we should hurry up because it's closing within an hour now."

Unable to find an excuse, she accepted Grace's company and stepped into the first cab they hailed. But very soon she realized how the traffic could be dense in Athens and they got stuck in it.

Tapping nervously on her knee, Karen checked her watch for the thousandth time. The car hadn't moved in five minutes and the embassy was far, in another area of the city. She jumped, surprised as Grace grabbed her hand and smiled at her softly.

"Don't be worried, we'll be there on time. And if not then we still can go to the police station. You should have told us as soon as we came back to Athens though. We would have gone straight for it. I mean, especially if it can cause some troubles at the customs…"

"You know me, Gracie. I do like getting troubles. I always do."

Her feigned smile vanished as soon as she turned her head around and looked by the window.

xxxxxxx

Sat on an armchair in the lobby of her suite, she looked up and stared blankly at the door as someone knocked. She knew it was Will, logically enough.

"You can come in."

Her voice sounded dry and icy. She blinked at him but didn't move as he entered the room. Her total absence of reaction obviously scared him and he stayed on the doorframe, unsure of the next move he was supposed to give. A few seconds passed by slowly before him murmuring.

"So… Did they fax them?"

A million wonders were rushing to his brain. Why wasn't Karen the slightest bit happy? After all she had seemed so relieved with him those past few days. Something was going wrong or she would have stopped by his room earlier while coming back to the hotel.

"They close at five on Saturday."

She didn't need to say more. Will knew the deal she had made with Stanley. If he didn't get news _ official ones _ before her return to America then it meant she still wanted to try and save their marriage.

He rushed to her and held her tiny frame in his arms as she burst into tears silently, coldly.

"It must be a sign"

Her remark made him freeze and he broke apart, looking at her in disbelief. But as the minutes passed by, his features turned into a sweet bitterness and he finally nodded.

"What's going to happen next?"

She frowned and let go of the police paper she had been holding all along; she hadn't even been able to tell Grace they didn't need to go to the police station.

"I don't know."

xxxxxxx

The plane took off at ten in the morning. Karen closed her eyes, images of the previous night rushing to her mind. They had made love without knowing anything of what their lives were made of anymore. Then she had fallen asleep in his arms, rocked by the salt of her tears and the frustrating sensation to have missed everything.

She turned her head and smiled at Jack, sat on her left; Grace was on her right. She couldn't even reach Will from where she was as if their dispositions on the plane were supposed to reflect the end of whatever they had lived. She bent over to grab her novel and caught up his gaze subconsciously. She froze, felt the words boil in her stomach before rushing to her lips. She opened her mouth to let them come out but all of a sudden she swallowed them back and settled on her seat.

She closed back her eyes to prevent from crying as the four words hit her heart violently.

_I love you, Will._


End file.
